Budding Affection
by Desperatembrace
Summary: As February progressed, Shinichi found himself constantly busy, unable to take the time to unravel the mystery of the flowers and cards that had been showing up on his table each morning. Call him crazy, but he was starting to think it was a conspiracy.


Started and completed February 14th

First of all, I have to say, I love Detective Conan. More specifically, Kaishin. It's such an adorable couple… Anyway. That's beside the point. I have been going through something of a Kaishin phase lately, and to my dismay… there aren't that many fanfictions over the couple.

Hence, I started a ridiculously long story of my own in order to compensate for my needs. (Granted, it's not completely KaiShin… it's more focused on action with a bit of the couple in the background, but alas. Interested? It'll be posted sometime in the next month or two.) But then Valentine's Day rolled around. And I was going into this terribly Shoujo mood and had no outlet.

Since I have always seen them as a rather pure, light couple, this vague idea was born. Yesterday. Well, like 12 hours ago. After much encouragement from one of my close friends, I finally ended up writing it out…. Just a few hours ago.

…It turned out a _lot _longer than I thought it would. Well, alas, on with the show!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Detective Conan or any of its characters. Yet.

**Warning: **Mild repetition, somewhat lengthy, and Shounen ai (A.K.A. "Boys Love")

**Budding Affection**

The first of February was announced with a small bunch of Yarrow, sitting in a small but elegant vase standing alone upon the empty table.

To be honest, Shinichi didn't even notice the out-of-place addition to his decorum until halfway through his second mug of coffee that morning. After swallowing the third gulp from that round, he paused, eyes latching onto the strange decoration. He blinked for but a moment before narrowing his eyes in confusion, his muddled mind slowly clicking into detective mode.

If he remembered correctly, Yarrow was supposed to represent either **healing or inspiration**. "Oh," he murmured as a thought occurred to him. Perhaps Ran had put it there—he had just recently gotten over a rather nasty cold, after all.

Shrugging the thought aside, he thought nothing odd of the fact that his childhood friend would have snuck into his house in the early hours of morning to put a single flower upon his table. Standing from the table, he deposited his mug into the sink before gathering his school bag, exiting the house in order to get to class.

X.O.X.O.X.O.X

The second of February was announced with a striking Gladiolus flower added to the vase upon his table.

_**Strength and moral integrity**_, Shinichi thought to himself almost absently. He paused with the cup of coffee to his lips, a tad bit confused. Now that he thought about it, it was a little bit strange that Ran would be leaving flowers upon his table. But then again, she tended to surprise him from time to time. Perhaps she was wishing him to regain his strength, he mused.

Intending to leave once more, Shinichi stood in a repeat of the prior morning. He froze. The young detective turned to look more closely at the flowers sitting upon his table. A flash of white had caught his eye for the briefest of moments. He blinked when he noticed the pure white ribbons attached to both flowers, just a bare inch above the lip of the vase.

He reached across the table, making careful work of undoing the ribbons and found himself even further confused at what he found. Attached to both ribbons were singular note cards with a single letter on each. Both note cards had bold, 'E's marked upon them.

The brunette regarded the cards curiously for a moment, turning them this way and that to search for any sort of abnormality. Finding nothing out of the ordinary, he shrugged and lay the notes on the surface of the table. It was baffling, to be honest, but there was really nothing he could do about it at the moment. He couldn't be late to class. With that final thought, he took his leave.

X.O.X.O.X.O.X

The third of February was announced with a tiny bouquet of Hydrangea.

_**Perseverance**_.

Shinichi wrinkled his brow, even more stumped. These were certainly some strange messages for Ran to be sending him. Then again, there was a chance that she hadn't been thinking of the symbolic meanings of each flower each time she bought one. She could have simply been selecting the flowers for their aesthetic means. Setting the thought aside, he reached to pull the card from the flower, brows pinching when his curiosity was only spurred further.

This time, it was a 'V'.

He set the card down, quickly going over all that he knew before he resigned. By the looks of it, he would probably have to ask Ran directly.

That day at school, Shinichi was confused to find that Ran had no idea what he was talking about. But… if Ran hadn't been the one leaving him flowers…

Then who had?

X.O.X.O.X.O.X

The fourth of February was announced with a single Ranunculus flower added to the ever-growing bouquet.

_**Radiant**_.

The card had a bold 'I' printed upon it.

Setting aside the note card, Shinichi shook his head. Even after staying up nearly half the night, he _still _had no clue who was doing this flower charade. With thoughts buzzing of flowers and possible culprits, Shinichi headed into school, not truly listening to the various lessons of that day.

Of course, he was surprised to find a certain friend of his on the front step of his home when he returned that day. "Kaito!"

The magician in question grinned. "It's been a week or two since we've seen each other, so I figured we were long overdue for a visit."

Shinichi shook his head with a laugh, unlocking the front door and admitting the young man into the house. Kaito glanced around the house as if he hadn't been there in years, darting a quick look back at the always-busy detective.

It had probably been about a year since he'd met Kaito. They had quickly hit it off and become best friends, their trust in one another endless. Not to mention, Kaito had always been something of a complement to his own personality, what with his bursting energy. He had even told the young aspiring magician of his time as Conan, pleasantly surprised (and pleased) when he had taken the confession in stride and simply asked him to tell stories.

Kaito's eyes landed on the no-longer-empty dining room table and paused. "What's up with the flowers?" he asked, quirking an eyebrow back at his friend. Shinichi shook his head in answer before telling his friend of the strange occurrences surrounding the flora.

For the briefest of moments, Kaito had a strange expression on his face before it disappeared altogether, covered up by what he had once called his "Poker Face". Deciding not to pursue it, Shinichi simply let it slide. As soon as Shinichi had finished telling him all that had been going on, Kaito had shrugged indifferently before bounding off to wreak havoc upon his home with his various (mostly explosive) magic tricks.

He never got the chance to attempt to solve the ever-plaguing mystery that day.

X.O.X.O.X.O.X

The fifth of February was announced with a singular pink rose attached to the bunch.

_**Friendship**_.

This card had yet another 'E' on it.

Shinichi was getting vaguely annoyed. No matter how much he thought on the matter at school, he just couldn't seem to reach an answer. And then, to top it all off, when he had finally gotten home that night, he had gotten a call from Megure-keibu asking for help with a case.

It had turned out to be a trifling matter (honestly, he had thought that they would have been able to figure out such an easy case, but no matter), but the paperwork had been _endless. _After he finally got home that night, he hadn't had the energy to do anything but take a shower and then climb into bed.

X.O.X.O.X.O.X

The sixth of February was announced with a small clump of Lisanthus flowers added to the bouquet, all set into a different, larger vase.

_**Calming**_.

The letter upon the card was a 'B'.

That Friday after school had found Shinichi on a train to Edoka. Almost the moment class had ended, Shinichi's phone had gone off. Kaito had wanted to know if he wanted to come over because he figured Shinichi could use a break from all of the cases and various happenings in Beika. After considering it for a moment, the detective decided it certainly couldn't hurt.

Shinichi spent the rest of the day in Edoka with Kaito, only barely making the last train back to Beika because of Kaito's endless prattle and never-ending pranks. Shinichi passed out almost the moment he got home.

X.O.X.O.X.O.X

The seventh of February was announced with a modest bunch of Jasmine added to the variety of flowers.

_**Grace and Elegance**_.

An 'L'.

Shinichi hadn't even had a chance to get his morning coffee before Ran and Sonoko were barging through his front door, throwing his jacket on his head and then dragging him out into the mild not-quite-winter not-quite-spring chill. Much to his dismay, Shinichi spent the entire day carrying their shopping bags.

X.O.X.O.X.O.X

The eighth of February was announced with a Daisy added to the fray.

_**Innocence**_.

A bold 'T'.

Almost expecting another interruption to occur, Shinichi wasn't disappointed when a rough thumping went off at his door. He would have pondered over conspiracies had Heiji not burst through the door, going on and on about some restaurant nearby. Unsurprisingly, he spent almost the entire day being dragged around by the Osakan. Yet again, he didn't have a chance to look at the evolving mystery.

X.O.X.O.X.O.X

The ninth of February was announced with a stem of vibrant Larkspur, contributing to the vibrant elegance of the arrangement.

_**Beautiful Spirit**_.

This time a 'Y' was printed on the card.

Shinichi raised an eyebrow when he realized the meaning of the latest addition to his flourishing museum of flowers. He ignored the way his cheeks flushed slightly and set the card aside, shaking his head before taking his leave.

The detective was surprised to find a familiar face waiting for him by the entrance to the school grounds as he left the building for the day. He jogged up to Kaito and pinned him with a questioning look. "What are you doing here?"

Kaito had laughed, shaking his head. "I'm not really sure, to be honest. Hattori called saying he wanted to meet up with everyone to hang out." Shinichi blinked. "But doesn't he have classes, too?" he raised an eyebrow, thoughts momentarily diverted from the floral mystery resting at home that had been plaguing him at school.

The messy-haired young man shook his head with a laugh. "I think he's on vacation a bit earlier than we are."

Shinichi knew there was no point in fighting it. He let Kaito drag him away.

X.O.X.O.X.O.X

The tenth of February was announced with a soft and vivid orchid, blending smoothly into the prepared greenery.

_**Delicate Beauty**_.

The note card had an 'N'.

As per usual, Shinichi had no time to attempt to decode the mystery of the flowers and note cards. He had woken up late and would probably have to sprint to class in order to get there on time. He had become something of a stickler on education ever since returning to his original body. Let the hassle of elementary level schoolwork not be underestimated. Hurriedly placing the newest note card at the end of the line, Shinichi darted out the door and down the street.

Once more, Kaito showed up at the school gates after class. Shinichi had idly wondered how the mischievous magician timed it so well. He lived a few districts over and he was pretty sure that _his _classes didn't end too much earlier than his own. Perhaps he skipped the last class of the day?

When questioned about his reappearance, Kaito shrugged with a smile. "There isn't much to do at home, so I figured I'd come and bug you." The messy haired young man caught sight of something past his shoulder and grinned before waving an arm enigmatically. "Hey, Ran-chan!"

After sucking Ran and Sonoko into a conversation, Kaito insisted that they go back to the Mouri Detective Agency and play a few games. The two males spent most of the day (and quite a bit of the night) there before trudging home and falling into bed.

X.O.X.O.X.O.X

The eleventh of February was announced with a multi-colored Pansy thrown into the mix.

_**Loving thoughts**_.

The card was an 'A' this time.

Shinichi stared at the growing enigma sitting upon his table for a moment before snapping from his stupor and downing the last of his coffee. He didn't have time to debate over this ever-amassing oddity. He had to get to class. Unfortunately for him it was only Wednesday.

Deciding to take the time to decode the mystery after school, Shinichi set off for class.

Kaito, however, ever the plan-wrecker, showed up at his school for the third time in a row, declaring that they had to go out. Putting a gentle hand upon Shinichi's lower back, the magician guided his counterpart off campus, directing him to a shop where he splurged on all things chocolate while Shinichi nursed a cappuccino.

As the messy-haired prankster delivered a stunning rendition of his recent exploits in class (complete with exuberant hand motions), Shinichi pondered over something he had noticed that afternoon. For the past few days (or weeks, rather), Kaito had been a little more physical than usual. Granted, Kuroba Kaito was a rather physical sort of person at the very base—he liked to hug people and to touch them in order to get his point across to a fuller effect.

But Shinichi had sensed something change recently. It was like he was tentatively exploring something, or trying out something a little bit new. The touches seemed to change in a way that he couldn't really explain.

The detective completely forgot about the flowers sitting upon his table for the day.

X.O.X.O.X.O.X

The twelfth of February was announced with a large, pure white chrysanthemum, standing out amongst the vibrant colors.

_**Truth**_.

He fingered the card labeled only with a bold 'M', a frown marring his face. To be honest, he couldn't really follow the messages that were being sent with these flowers. But again, he reasoned, the flowers didn't necessarily have symbolic meaning to them. They could simply be a gift.

For some reason, that didn't seem to sit right. He couldn't help but feel like there was more to these flowers than just their beauty. Shinichi fingered the card for a moment longer, sight lost on the bold strokes of the letter as he considered the possibilities but came up short. He added the card to the end of the line, starting when he realized that there was a chance that he could figure things out now.

If his secret mystery giver had intended for the letters to be unscrambled, he could probably get the main gist of the words. He sat down in his chair, coffee left forgotten on the corner of the table as he started to catalogue what he knew. Just as he set in to do some thinking, however, his cell phone rang from the living room. It was Kaito.

There seemed to be something on his mind; something that was bugging him. The magician only wanted to talk, however.

Shinichi didn't get a chance to unscramble the letters that day.

X.O.X.O.X.O.X

The thirteenth of February was announced with a single Yellow Tulip, sitting at the forefront of the flower arrangement.

_**Hopelessly in Love**_.

It had been accompanied by the letter 'N'.

Similar to the day prior, Shinichi didn't get a chance to sit down and try to unscramble the letters. Once more he got a call, this time Kaito had asked that they meet in a nearby park. There had been something in his voice…

Shinichi had immediately realized something was up. Abandoning his detective side-project for his friend in need, the brunette was out the door in a matter of minutes.

Later that night found Shinichi stumbling back through the doors of his home, mind lost in a haze of thoughts. He hadn't expected…

Kaito had told him his secret. That he was Kaitou KID.

Of course, the Eastern detective had _some _idea and clue of the connection, but he had never bothered to completely solidify the idea in his mind. He had never really bothered to question the possibility that Kaito was Thief 1412 and the possible effect it would have upon their relationship. Hell, even if he had outright thought that KID and Kaito were one and the same, he didn't expect that the magician would outright _tell _him.

He had taken the confession with a straight face. He analyzed the information as best as he could before he told Kaito what he had thought outright.

Shinichi didn't mind.

He had never had anything against the enigmatic thief; never really gone any further past the chase in order to really try to put the Moonlight Magician behind bars. He had simply never registered as a true criminal in his eyes.

Shinichi told Kaito as such and let him know that he didn't dislike him or see him any differently. He was still Kuroba Kaito, his greatest and closest friend. Strangely enough, the blinding smile that Kaito had shot him left him feeling light and flushed.

That night found Shinichi falling into bed, oddly at peace with the world.

X.O.X.O.X.O.X

Valentine's Day, the fourteenth of February, was announced with absolutely nothing.

After looking over the bouquet of flowers, he realized that there was no new addition. There was no tell tale sign of ribbon or a card attached to any of the flowers.

Shinichi ignored the slight ache of disappointment at the realization that there hadn't been a new surprise for him that morning. He had come to expect something new and additionally enigmatic from his mornings for the past week or so, so he was understandably thrown off by the sudden change.

He blew out a quiet sigh, making his way to the kitchen to prepare that morning's coffee. He went about the process in a sluggish fashion, not worrying about his pace. Luckily, it was a weekend, and he therefore had no classes to worry about for the day. He could take the rest of the day at an unhurried pace.

As he nursed his coffee, Shinichi leaned against the counter in the kitchen, the detective part of him wondering over the strange floral ritual that someone had imbued upon him for the past two weeks. Even stranger was the fact that the ritual had suddenly halted.

The brunette scratched idly at his neck, feet unknowingly guiding him back to the lavish dining room. He paused a few feet from his seat, eyes glued onto the surface of the table just in front of the vase of flowers.

There was another card that hadn't been there before.

He made his way over to his chair, setting his coffee aside and sinking into his seat as he looked over the card. It was no longer a singular note card, but rather one that opened. He checked the back briefly before turning it back over, gaze riveted upon the character gracing its front.

It was a question mark.

He narrowed his eyes in confusion, glancing briefly over the rest of the cards before debating over what he should do. Should he attempt to scramble the letters in order to see if there was a message or should he open up the card to see what secrets it held inside?

His curiosity over the most recent mystery won out. He opened the card, blinking in surprise when he found the inside covered in a loopy scrawl that was vaguely familiar. Shinichi took a moment to take a gulp of coffee before he began to read quietly aloud.

"Just a year ago, you and I had been on two opposite sides of the spectrum, facing one another from positions that were completely different. Despite our differences, I found that you were something of an **inspiration**. Your **strength and moral integrity **was influential and all-encompassing. Your **perseverance **was nothing short of **radiant**. I found myself vying for your **friendship**. I sought you out, hoping that you would be my friend. You probably have no idea exactly how ecstatic I was that you accepted me into your life so easily.

"From that point, I learned more about the person you truly were. You had a natural **calming **effect on those around you, particularly upon me. You had a **grace and elegance **that stood out amongst the crowd and an **innocence **that was untainted by the haunted line of work that you pursued. I began to see you from the soul and realized that you had a **beautiful spirit**."

Shinichi paused, licking his dry lips nervously.

"I began to notice you for who you were on the outside—became conscious of your personal brand of **delicate beauty**. I thought of you all the time. Without my noticing, you were always on my mind; in **loving thoughts**. After months of being one of your closest friends, I arrived at the **truth**.

I realized I was **hopelessly in love **with you. I knew what had to be done. I told you my biggest secret… and was overjoyed to find that you accepted me for who I am."

By now, his stomach was flopping unpleasantly in his abdomen as a strange sense of bewilderment clouded his senses. Surely…

"Now, with the only obstacle out of my way, I present to you my **declaration of love**…" The sentence trailed off, leaving much to be pondered. As Shinichi's voice died away with the last of the letter's words, he swallowed the growing lump in his throat, biting his lower lip slightly as he glanced up.

There before him, sitting cheekily upon his table beside the vase, was one Kuroba Kaito. As thoughts raced through his head (_How did he get up there without me hearing him?_), his cerulean eyes latched onto the single flower that his _closest friend _held out to him.

He restrained the almost hysterical laugh that clawed at his throat.

A red tulip. A **declaration of love**.

Kaito seemed uncharacteristically nervous, scratching idly at his cheek before his Poker Face took over. He gave a lopsided grin, snapping the fingers of his free hand. The note cards that had lay before him as a puzzle needing to be solved disappeared into a poof of smoke. It took but a moment for the bright pink smoke to fade away, leaving the note cards rearranged and—apparently—very much solved.

Shinichi felt a bright blush burn onto his cheeks and singe his ears, unable to move his gaze from the question that sat innocently upon his dining room table.

'_BE MY VALENTINE?'_

Slowly, so slowly, the detective drew his sight up, gaze moving over the cards, over the overflowing vase of flowers, up the stem of the _declaration of love_, and finally, _finally _stopped on the face of the one young man he had come to know so well in the past year.

His mind stalled, mouth opening to emit not a single sound. Kaito's smile softened, head tilting slightly as he realized that Shinichi was almost completely stupefied. Taking a minute to carefully add the tulip to the complete bouquet within the vase, Kaito then turned to face Shinichi once more, face shining with a hopeful innocence that blew the detective's mind.

With a gentle, creeping pace, Kaito scoot closer to his beloved detective, eyes locked upon cerulean. The silence was surprisingly comfortable before the magician was leaning in. Shinichi was frozen, knowing exactly what was happening but found he couldn't really move away.

Actually, he didn't have much of an active desire to.

The kiss was gentle and innocent, a simple meeting of lips and test of the possibilities to come. After a few moments, Kaito pulled away, opening his eyes to find that Shinichi's eyes were still shut, a strange expression of innocence upon his still-scarlet-flushed face.

Slowly, his eyes slid open to reveal calculating cerulean orbs. He was quiet for a few minutes before he finally said, "Everyone else was in on this, weren't they?"

Kaito blinked. Then he released a sharp bark of laughter. "But, of course, my dear detective!" He rubbed at his nose as if to disguise his nerves.

_Ahh, that figures_, Shinichi mused. _It would certainly explain how I never seemed to get a chance to sit down and analyze the mystery._

His attention was drawn by the (very) minute fidgeting of his not-so-secret admirer. Kaito was nervous, he realized. Though that was only obvious—he had yet to give him a direct answer. Shinichi paused for a moment, going over his feelings before he smiled softly.

Kaito caught the smile from the corner of his eye and turned, wondering what exactly was going through his detective's head, only to connect with Shinichi's lips. The magician froze, a strange, unexplainable heat surging through his entire being as the sweet young man before him pressed just a little bit closer.

Too soon, Shinichi pulled away, a wry smile stretching the lips that had just been pressed against his own.

"Can't do things normally, can you?"

Kaito tugged Shinichi closer and wrapped his arms around him, body shaking with an almost uncontainable joy. Pressing closer into the warmth of his frame, he threw a muffled question right back at the detective. "You wouldn't have me any other way, would you?" Shinichi tightened his arms around him in return, blowing out a quiet chuckle.

The thief smiled, pressing a quick kiss to his detective's neck.

"Didn't think so."

**End**

Oh _god, _the _fluff. _It's too much! I never knew it was so hard to write! It took three attempts to finish the little kiss scene at the end there. I kept on stopping after, like, half a sentence because I found my cheeks burning. And I had thought I would be embarrassed at Kaito's little letter at the end… -snorts-

Yeah, right.

Anyway. I know it's not perfect. But do keep in mind this was written in the wee hours of the morning (and in a surprisingly short period of time).

Hope you guys enjoyed!


End file.
